Corn-planter



(No Model.)

H. C. SHANAHAN.

CORN PLANTER. No. 400,125. Patented Mar. 26, 1889.

N. Pneus; Mmmm. wma-mn. 0.a

UNITED STATES i ATENT FFICE.

HENRY C. SIIANAIIAN, F MISHAVAKA, INDIANA.

CORN-PLANTER.

'SPECIFICATION forming part oi Letters Patent No. 400,125, dated March 26, 1889.

Application filed August 4, 1888.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY CLAY SHANA- HAN, of Mishawaka, in the -county of St. .Ioseph and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Corn-Planters, and that the following is a full and accurate description of the same.

This invention relates to that class of cornplanters which advances on runners instead of wheels, and which operate the corn-dropping mechanism by means of rimless wheels which revolve as the machine advances, and being rimless step off and accurately measure horizontal distances between hills regardless of slight variations or undulations of the surface; but it varies from such invention in the arrangement of the corn-planting devices on the spokes of said'rimless wheel, whereby the planting` of the seed takes place from the end of said spoke direct instead of at a distance therefrom, actuated from said spoke through intermediate mechanism. It also differs from other runner-machines in the jointed runners in front, whereby the machine is enabled to pass slight obstructions without departing from its level position.

That others may fully understand my improvement, I will particularly describe it, having reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure l is a perspective view of my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Figs. 3 and 4 are details.

A is the main frame of my machine. It may be provided at its rear end with a drivers seat and with ixed runners l), and at the front end it is provided with runners c,which are pivoted to the main frame at or near the heel of said runners, so that when the point or front of said runners or either of them encounters a hard clog or other obstruction it may turn upon its pivot, its front rising up and passing over the obstruction. The drafttongue t is jointed to the runnersc at their front ends, and the back ends are extended rearwardly and jointed to the front ends of supplemental runners d, which are pivoted to the main fra at their rear ends. The object of this structure is to preserve the horizontality of the main frame while the front runners, c, rise to pass obstructions, and this Serial No. 281,945. (No model.)

is accomplished by the depression of the supplemental runners and the temporary support of the machine upon them while the front runners are out of position.

The rimless wheels are composed of spokes 5.-;

levers are bent, as shown in Figs. l and 2, and, i

having their pivotal points below the axle, raise the latter by a cam action. By providing the levers with shallow sockets or notches g at such point that the axle will, when raised, reach and drop into said sockets, the axle itself will hold the levers in that position which elevates and clears the planting devices from the ground. The bent levers are, however, available without such sockets. Attheir extremities the spokes e c are armed with projecting blades havhich penetrate the ground and compel the wheel to turn. The length of the spokes is such that they step off upon the ground some equal portion of the preferred distance between the hills of corn, and to the extremities of certain of said spokes I attach the planters fz', whereby the corn is deposited in the hill.

In the drawings, the spokes e are repre-v at the inner end and closed at the outer end by small Hap-doors j,which are placed oblique to the radius, so that the corn will rest at the lowest point and fall out immediately when the door is opened. Each door is provided with an opening-pin which engages a stop, la, attached to the main frame at the moment when the planter or boot stands vertical.

6oVVA The intermediate spokes, e, are employed to insure the revolution of the wheels, and they are rigidly attached to the shaft F to secure uniformity and coincidence of revolution, so that if for any cause one Wheel should pass a hollow its proper revolution would be secured by the co-operation of the other wheel. The corn is placed in boxes L, which are mounted on the frame above the shaft F, and are provided with some feed device of proper construction, operated by engagement with the revolving wheel to cause the proper quantity of corn to be dropped into the open end ot' the planting-boom' in advance of its arrival at the vertical position. Opening and covering shovels m n are attached to the frame, and a reversible marker, fr, is employed to indicate the line of the succeeding row. In starting each row the planter must be set by hand for the first hill.

Having described my invention, I claim as newl. In a runner cornplanter, the forward runners pivoted to the frame at or near their back ends, combined with the supplemental arms or runners CZ, pivoted to the frame and jointed to said forward runners, substantially as set forth.

2. In a runner corn-planter, apair of front runners pivoted to the main frame at or near the rear ends of said runners provided with rearward extensions, and the supplemental runners pivoted to the frame and jointed to said rearward extensions, so that as the front ends of said forward runners encounter an obstruction they rise on said obstruction by turning on their pivots, and the suplilemental runners are thrown down to support the ma= chine without changing the horizont-ality of the machine.

3. In a corn-planter, a transverse shaft having at each end of the planter a revolving rimless wheel provided with planter-boots spaced to plant at the proper distance between hills, and additional actuating-spokes e upon each of said wheels and intermediate between said boots, whereby the turning of the shaft is effected from either side" of the planter while said boots are clear of the ground.

et. In a corn-planter, a revolving planting- Wheel provided with planting-boots, as described, in combination with a carrying-fram e having bearings which loosely engage the axle of said wheel and permit said axle and wheel to move vertically independently of said frame, and the bent levers G, carried by said frame, having their pivotal points below the axle and adapted to raise said axle by a cam action and sustain it in the upper part of said bearings to clear the planting-wheel of the ground, as set forth.

5. In a planter, the combination, with the axle carrying the planting` devices, and a frame having bearings which loosely engage the axle, of levers pivoted upon the frame adapted to engage and elevate the axle, and having sockets into which the axle may drop and thereby hold the said levers in position, substantially as described.

HENRY C. SI-IANAHAN.

lfitiiesses:

II. G. TOWLE, R. D. O. SMITH. 

